The Blue Hill Meadows

The Blue Hill Meadows was written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Ellen Beier. The genre of the book is realistic fiction, chapter book. The book was published by Sandpiper in 2001. The book has not received any awards. The main characters of the book are the members of the Meadow family and the secondary characters are their dogs and the teacher. The theme of the book is family bonds.

This book contains four chapters. It walks through different seasons with the members of the Meadow family. The book really illustrates how the different members of the family relate to one another and enjoy spending their time. In the book, the Meadows welcome a new dog and then puppies to their family. They really enjoy adding new members, they even keep one puppy. The book also describes a yearly trip the father takes the boys on to go fishing. This chapter shows the bond between father and son. Before they return home they bring the other members a gift, which shows the appreciation they have for all members. Another chapter talks about the blizzard that came to Blue Hill. Willie was left at school and was taken home by his teacher. Then he family came and they sat together and rode out the blizzard.
I would include this book as part of my middle-upper elementary classroom. Both boys and girls could relate to the characters and the lives they lived. The book is a quick, enjoyable read. Many students could really get into this book and enjoy it.